How do you book and pay for an ASQ?

[pseudorabies]

For me the cancellation policy was important since there were too many variables in play that could derail my plans, the biggest getting covid testing done in time (this is in the US).  In the end I was able to get the results quickly using Pixel/labcorp's mail-in test. From the time the sample was delivered to their lab it was only 22h until I had the results available for downloading and printing.  However as it turned out the Fit-to Fly certificate came close to being an issue. My flight was late in the evening on a Monday and my doctor doesn't work weekends so the FtF form was dated for the preceding Friday, about 80 hours prior to the flight.  It was the airline's call.  Our check-in agent at the airline counter didn't seem to notice that we were 8h over the 72h window.  However just ahead of us in the queue was a group of monks with the same issue. They weren't so lucky and were denied boarding.  It could just as easily have been us getting denied entry.

[jacko45k]

13 minutes ago, Don Chance said:

I assume walk around freely without a mask. Jet lag is also a good excuse to sleep all day.

 

What about these charter flights? I have to wait for a special flight to be arranged from To- bkk? How much will that cost?

No, in Bangkok and Pattaya you see a lot of masks being worn, perhaps why Thailand is doing far better than many places. Malls and public transport require it. Cannot speak of flights from Canada, you likely have to ask the Thai Embassy in Ottawa. Prices from the UK have been reasonable  but not the pre-Covid bargains... Biz Class is expensive.

[jamesnunn8]

Each ASQ seem to have different rules. The one I am in now seems quite strict compared to others. 

For example. I have a balcony in my room but it remains locked for the entire duration. I can't even open a window. 

Today (day 7) will be the first time I will be allowed out of the room (40 mins per day on the roof) 

I was aware of this when I booked though. I needed a room at short notice and didn't want to wait until October when other hotels had availability. 

[HashBrownHarry]

35 minutes ago, Don Chance said:

What's it like to be stuck in a small moldy room 24 hrs day /15 days? Are you allowed to walk around the hotel or outside sometimes? Sounds like house arrest.

My room is approx 40sqm and it's not mouldy.

 

Upon arrival not allowed to leave the room, on day 5 swab test taken and results next day. If negative test we're allowed to rooftop coffee shop, controlled by hotel staff to minimize numbers.

 

Needs must, currently there's no way to by pass quarantine, no other option.

[pj123]

4 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:

My room is approx 40sqm and it's not mouldy.

 

Upon arrival not allowed to leave the room, on day 5 swab test taken and results next day. If negative test we're allowed to rooftop coffee shop, controlled by hotel staff to minimize numbers.

 

Needs must, currently there's no way to by pass quarantine, no other option.

The rules prohibit alcohol. Do they search your luggage prior to check-in to ensure you do not bring alcohol into quarantine?

[pj123]

4 hours ago, pseudorabies said:

For me the cancellation policy was important since there were too many variables in play that could derail my plans, the biggest getting covid testing done in time (this is in the US).  In the end I was able to get the results quickly using Pixel/labcorp's mail-in test. From the time the sample was delivered to their lab it was only 22h until I had the results available for downloading and printing.  However as it turned out the Fit-to Fly certificate came close to being an issue. My flight was late in the evening on a Monday and my doctor doesn't work weekends so the FtF form was dated for the preceding Friday, about 80 hours prior to the flight.  It was the airline's call.  Our check-in agent at the airline counter didn't seem to notice that we were 8h over the 72h window.  However just ahead of us in the queue was a group of monks with the same issue. They weren't so lucky and were denied boarding.  It could just as easily have been us getting denied entry.

Anantara Riverside requires full payment before they will send a booking confirmation for your CoE. No charge if you need to change date of arrival but no refund if you cancel.

[EVAN]

wait for your flight confirmation first, as soon as the flight confirmed by the embassy book your ASQ, the COE will be linked to the flight as well, your flight and ASQ details will be in your COE

[HashBrownHarry]

56 minutes ago, pj123 said:

The rules prohibit alcohol. Do they search your luggage prior to check-in to ensure you do not bring alcohol into quarantine?

Bags are not searched, i took a bottle in with me.

[HashBrownHarry]

47 minutes ago, pj123 said:

Anantara Riverside requires full payment before they will send a booking confirmation for your CoE. No charge if you need to change date of arrival but no refund if you cancel.

Bear in mind change of arrival date will be dependant on availability.

[impulse]

Here's a curiosity question of smaller consequence...

 

How do you get from the airport to the ASQ?  What if your ASQ is in a different city than your flight?

 

 

[impulse]

5 minutes ago, PatrickC said:

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Here's a curiosity question of smaller consequence...

 

How do you get from the airport to the ASQ?  What if your ASQ is in a different city than your flight?

ASQ arranges transport directly from the airport to the hotel. You can't just leave the airport and jump on public transport.

 

As for if it is in another city, no idea

 

Good info.  I was wondering if you got a ride in a high tech gov't vehicle (we called them Paddy Wagons when I was a kid, but I don't think that's PC any more).  

 

[HashBrownHarry]

9 hours ago, PatrickC said:

 

Fair point on the first sentence. I'd rather be here than anywhere else.

 

Second sentence - nice bit of casual anti-Thai racism. Sure they're quite capable of a centralised ASQ booking system. Since this all might be running to 2022, seems a good idea.

If they are capable do you not think they'd have done it by now - i rest my case.

[HashBrownHarry]

Just now, PatrickC said:

 

Perhaps no one has suggested it yet.

 

This would be a fairly basic piece of work. Sure they could commission Agoda, HQed in BKK, to build the site. 

 

The smart way to build it would be workflow. You apply for the COE online, send your docs in, that goes to the embassy, and once it gets approved online it allows you to book ASQ through the portal, and then finally you pay for your flight. If there is no ASQ you don't pay for the flight so lowers the risk of wasting money.

 

Could all be put into quite a neat workflow. 

pipe dream.

[pseudorabies]

On 9/30/2020 at 12:41 PM, HashBrownHarry said:

Bags are not searched, i took a bottle in with me.

I came in about 36 hours ago, my bags were not searched, and I wish I took a bottle in with me.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy....

[HashBrownHarry]

5 minutes ago, pseudorabies said:

I came in about 36 hours ago, my bags were not searched, and I wish I took a bottle in with me.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy....

 

I had one test on day #5 (negative result confirmed on day #6) and have another today ( day #11 ).

 

I will get results tomorrow and as far as i'm aware no more tests, therefore i don't understand why i must remain in quarantine until 6th October. If there's not another test before i'm realised there really is no point??

 

ps - i wish i'd taken 2 bottles!

 

Edited October 2, 2020 by HashBrownHarry

[oceanbreeze851]

There is a webpage on the Thai Embassy website with a list of all ASQ hotels. Depending where you arrive in Thailand, that is where you will stay. The only places you can enter into Thailand are Bangkok and Phuket. The latest ASQ list has 60 hotels in Bangkok and (I believe) 5 hotels in Phuket.

My question is about my wife staying with me. If I select X hotel it will cost me Y (the hotel room cost, 3 meals a day, 2 covid test). If my wife stays in the room with me she has to pay Y also. Is there Any ASQ hotels with a couples rate? I did see on some ASQ hotel websites that if an additional person in the room was Thai the rate was decreased by 5% to 15%. The cost of the room was paid with the first person. 

[LennyW]

Latest list of ASQ hotels as of Yesterday, also have in Pattaya for those flying in to U Tapau.

ในกรณีที่ประสงค์แยกพักโรงแรมโดยเสียค่าใช้จ่ายเอง สามารถตรวจสอบข้อมูลโรงแรม ASQ ที่ hsscovid.com.pdf

[Andy from Kent]

On 9/30/2020 at 7:15 AM, pseudorabies said:

For me the cancellation policy was important since there were too many variables in play that could derail my plans, the biggest getting covid testing done in time (this is in the US).  In the end I was able to get the results quickly using Pixel/labcorp's mail-in test. From the time the sample was delivered to their lab it was only 22h until I had the results available for downloading and printing.  However as it turned out the Fit-to Fly certificate came close to being an issue. My flight was late in the evening on a Monday and my doctor doesn't work weekends so the FtF form was dated for the preceding Friday, about 80 hours prior to the flight.  It was the airline's call.  Our check-in agent at the airline counter didn't seem to notice that we were 8h over the 72h window.  However just ahead of us in the queue was a group of monks with the same issue. They weren't so lucky and were denied boarding.  It could just as easily have been us getting denied entry.

 

While casting absolutely no aspersions on you whatsoever, your post points out to me the very fragility of the system in place for international traveling.  

 

In essence your travel was Okayed by an airline  ticket counter agent who disregarded the rules or at a minimum failed to properly follow  instructions.   That's a pretty weak point in the system to me.

 

 

[HashBrownHarry]

56 minutes ago, Andy from Kent said:

 

While casting absolutely no aspersions on you whatsoever, your post points out to me the very fragility of the system in place for international traveling.  

 

In essence your travel was Okayed by an airline  ticket counter agent who disregarded the rules or at a minimum failed to properly follow  instructions.   That's a pretty weak point in the system to me.

 

 

Find a clinic that operates 7 days a week, there's plenty out there, albeit maybe at a premium cost?

[pseudorabies]

38 minutes ago, Andy from Kent said:

 

While casting absolutely no aspersions on you whatsoever, your post points out to me the very fragility of the system in place for international traveling.  

 

In essence your travel was Okayed by an airline  ticket counter agent who disregarded the rules or at a minimum failed to properly follow  instructions.   That's a pretty weak point in the system to me.

 

 

I wondered how the agents are trained, consistency within an airline and across sites, and across different airlines/sites.  The agent that took care of us may have been thinking of three days not 72 hours.  Our flight was just before midnight on Monday and our F2F was from Friday, 3 days earlier.  If it was from the prior Thursday I would be more alarmed (and I would not have felt comfortable trying to use that).  Ideally COVID testing should be required for all travelers since the F2F is not all that effective in reducing risk to begin with IMO.

[HashBrownHarry]

24 minutes ago, pseudorabies said:

I wondered how the agents are trained, consistency within an airline and across sites, and across different airlines/sites.  The agent that took care of us may have been thinking of three days not 72 hours.  Our flight was just before midnight on Monday and our F2F was from Friday, 3 days earlier.  If it was from the prior Thursday I would be more alarmed (and I would not have felt comfortable trying to use that).  Ideally COVID testing should be required for all travelers since the F2F is not all that effective in reducing risk to begin with IMO.

The Covid test before flying is not effective either, you're free to go where you want and see who you want from time of sample until time of flight, exposing yourself to as many people and locations as you want.

[HashBrownHarry]

1 hour ago, PatrickC said:

 

Actually the application for the COE, which you sign, makes you promise not to do as you describe above. Technically, you're breaking the agreement by doing this and liable for denied entry / deportation if the authorities were to find out.

 

Now there is no way they could ever really find out. But, point remains, you are not technically free to do this. 

 

You would also be quite silly to. If you contract covid after the test, you'll test positive in quarantine, and be forced to remain in quarantine or hospital until you are covid free. 15 nights is bad enough. I wanted no risk of any more than the 15 nights. So I isolated in the weeks before I came to minimise risk.

 

Finally - it is not quite correct to say it is not effective. It is effective insofar as it is a basic filter. It does weed some positive people out, I'm sure, and also makes people more careful to avoid being denied boarding / entry when they arrive in Thailand.

 

You are aware that ( on the embassy repatriation flights ) the Thai nationals did not require CV-19 test certificate prior to boarding that flight so you're self isolation did not really serve much purpose - plus you have no control over the people you came into contact with on transit to, or at, both airports at either end.

 

But if it makes you feel better happy days!

[JackGats]

On 9/30/2020 at 7:37 AM, EVAN said:

... your flight and ASQ details will be in your COE

I was thinking of booking a 65k Baht ASQ to limit loss in case of cancellation, then upon arrival I'd whip out my credit card and upgrade to a 90k ASQ. If the ASA details are carved in stone on my COE that could be problematic.

[Mai mee]

1 hour ago, JackGats said:

I was thinking of booking a 65k Baht ASQ to limit loss in case of cancellation, then upon arrival I'd whip out my credit card and upgrade to a 90k ASQ. If the ASA details are carved in stone on my COE that could be problematic.

Very posh!

Edited February 5, 2021 by Mai mee

[Chalong circle]

I dont think you can change your hotel when you arrive. Upgrade in the same hotel, probably yes.

[ThaiVisaCentre]

4 hours ago, JackGats said:

I was thinking of booking a 65k Baht ASQ to limit loss in case of cancellation, then upon arrival I'd whip out my credit card and upgrade to a 90k ASQ. If the ASA details are carved in stone on my COE that could be problematic.

 

Most ASQ hotels provide a refund, or at least a credit if your flight gets cancelled.